Heartcrush Among Happiness
by LadyBards
Summary: Since Brennan has gone, and taken his world with her, Booth struggles with old demons.
1. Chapter 1

The room smells of cigar smoke, booze and desperation. There is a man sitting at the bar, glass of single malt in hand. He swirls his glass and hears the ice clink. He is trying desperately to ignore the itch in his hands, in his whole body really. In one swift move, he pounds down the rest of his drink, tosses his money on the bar and storms out. Angrily he realizes he almost didn't make it, he almost gave in and that makes him mad. It's been over seven years since he stopped. Since he realized that he had a future outside of seedy bars and being a sometimes dad. And that future began with her.

An old man stands in the shadows watching the younger man storm out. He knows his history, knows his demons. It may be the middle of the night, but the young man's depression and sadness can be read through the dark shadows of night. The old man knows how hard his young counterpart has fought to stay on the straight and narrow. He also knows that this can not go on, that he needs something to keep him sane. More accurately, he needs _someone._Starting his car, the old man disappears into the night, plan formulated.

The crunching of the gravel alerts her that someone is coming. Carefully peering out the window of the cabin, she sees her father walking up to the door.

"What are you doing here Dad?" she asked

"We need to talk," came his terse reply. At her nod, he continued on. "You need to give Christine to Booth."

Standing still, she replayed what he had just said over and over in her mind. "You can't be serious? Just because you saw fit to abandon your own daughter does not mean that I will do the same" she said, the shock evident in her voice. The thought that he could even suggest that she leave her daughter almost floored her. She turned away from her father, tears pooling in her eyes. She could feel her breathing change, feel the fear and loneliness creep into her very being.

"This isn't about my faults or yours either, Tempe. He needs her. That man-the man you love, the man you changed your life for, is about two steps away from falling off the wagon. He was in a pool hall tonight, Tempe. He was close to losing everything he's worked so hard to maintain."

"No" she replied quickly, her voice becoming agitated. "He wouldn't do that. He values his family too much to go back to gambling"

"What 'family', Tempe? _You took his daughter and left_! Parker's mother took him back to England with her. He's suspended from work because of his relationship with you. He has nothing and no one working in his favor. I know why you took Christine with you. If anyone understands your motives, it's me, but he needs her, baby."

As Max was speaking to her, her eyes caught sight of a baby toy on the floor. Could she really be without her daughter? Could she send Christine to her father? Brennan paced the small living room as she tried to rationalize her father's arguments. She turned to look at Max as he continued speaking.

"He needs someone to keep him going. You can't tell me that keeping her with you to assuage any guilt you might feel is better than keeping her away from him, when he so clearly needs her to function."

She was silent for a few moments. This was all too much. Taking into account everything she knew; things she knew to be the truth from having spent years with Booth to the things her father was telling her now, she was at a loss. Gathering herself, she looked Max in the eye. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper.

"You saw him?"

"Yes"

"And he looked...?"

"Lost. He needs her. Honestly, he needs you, but she's the next best thing"

"I need to think about this. I'm going to my room," with that, she headed to her bedroom and quietly shut her door. When he heard the soft click of the lock, he knew he'd gotten through to her.

Brennan spent the rest of the night not sleeping. She laid awake in her bed, watching the shadows play across her ceiling. If she were to believe her father, and she had no reason not to, then Booth was in trouble. While she had made the unilateral decision to leave and take Christine, it had not been a decision she made lightly. She struggled with it from the moment she put Christine in the car seat that wasn't hers. She tried her hardest not to look into the rear view mirror as she drove away from the love of her life. She kept telling herself that this was best. This was the way to protect everyone. But after her father's revelations, she realized that while it might be best for her, it was breaking Booth. She'd broken his heart once, and realized that she had broken it yet again, this time taking with her one of the most important things to him. Sighing, she got out of her bed and went about packing up Christine.

Once Brennan had packed up all of Christine's necessities into her baby bag, she looked at her father.

"After thinking quite a lot about what you've told me, and taking into account what I know about Booth, I've decided that I will send Christine to Booth" once she said it, the tears began flowing.

"I know that it is what's best for both of them, but that doesn't make it hurt any less"

"I know Baby," Max said. "It's not easy, and it will probably get harder and harder until they catch the son of a bitch who is wreaking havoc on your life. But today, right now? This is what's best for everyone."

"I know" she sniffled. "And I have a plan as to how we can get Christine to the house. Can you help me?"

"Of course I can help you! That's what I'm here for."

"Good. We need to do this as carefully as possible. Since you seem to have made it a habit of following Booth, I need for you to bring Christine to our house. Put her in her room and leave. Well, don't actually 'leave', but go somewhere that Booth will not be able to see you, but that will still be close enough to Christine that if she needs you, you'll be there. Once Booth is home and sees her, you won't have to stay any longer."

"Okay baby girl" Max replied. "I'll put her in her room and hang out on the patio outside her room. Once Booth does his check of the house, he'll find her."

"How can you be so sure Dad?"

"Easy," Max answered. "Ive been watching him for awhile now. He is nothing if not a creature of habit. Once he sets the alarm and shuts down the downstairs, he goes upstairs, pauses at the landing, and always pops his head into Christine's room. He sits down in the rocking chair for awhile before making his way to the guest room for the night"

"Why does he go to the guest room?" Brennan wondered aloud.

Smirking at her as he headed to the car Max looked at her and said "I'm sure you'll figure it out, Tempe."

Booth entered the house, after a long day of nothing productive. He had been out for a run, hoping to use the time to clear his mind, but instead his mind filled with pictures of his life as it was eight weeks ago. He drops his keys in the ceramic bowl on the entry table and climbs the stairs. He pauses at the doorway to the master suite. Since she's left, he can't bring himself to sleep in their room alone. She is everywhere; Subtle touches here and there that show even a casual observer that a woman has been there. Her brush is on the vanity, her toothbrush sits next to his in the en suite. A picture of the two of them from some function rests on the bedside table. It's all too much, and so he pushes off the door frame and crosses the hall, stopping only to poke his head into the yellow nursery. Just as he's about to continue on his way, he hears a quiet sigh from the crib. Sure it's just his imagination, he investigates anyway. Peering into the crib he sees the face he's missed these last eight weeks. Peacefully asleep is his daughter, blissfully unaware of what her presence means to her father. As if she senses him there, she opens her eyes. Catching his eyes, she smiles her version of her daddy's famous charm smile. It is then that he picks her up, and clutching her to his chest, he begins to sob.


	2. Chapter 2

**_I don't own Bones...but this shouldn't surprise anyone. _**

**_Thanks once again to AvaniHeath for checking this out and giving me feedback! _**

He doesn't know how long he is standing in the nursery, holding Christine, but he notices at some point that his tears have been replaced with sheer exhaustion. Not wanting to be parted from her for even one night, he gathers up Christine and her blankets and takes her to the guest room. Pausing in the doorway, he contemplates if he will sleep in his makeshift room, or if tonight is the night he returns to _their_ room. To him, the guest room represents where his life is now, but he doesn't know if he can bring himself to sleep in their bed without her resting in his arms. Looking down at his daughter-this little person who _almost_ completes him. This little person who is equal parts him and her mother. He decides he's going back to their room tonight. As he readies for bed, he can't help but stare at his daughter, who lies peacefully in the middle of her parent's bed in a nest of blankets and pillows. He isn't quite sure how she got to him, but he's happy just the same. Once he's brushed his teeth, he climbs into bed, staring at his daughter, wishing and praying that her mother was there with them. Before he realizes it, he drifts into a peaceful sleep himself, dreaming of a time when father, daughter and mother can be together again.

Somewhere not quite so far away, there is another father keeping watch over his sleeping daughter. This daughter is not sleeping peacefully; in fact she is barely sleeping at all. She is in her bed, under her blankets, trying in vain to keep her tears at bay. Finally, Max can take no more and goes to her. Without words, he gathers her into his arms and just holds her as she cries. Even if he wanted to, what would he say to her? Brennan takes comfort in the fact that her father has been here before. He's comforted another mother when she had to leave her daughter. And while he knows both women did what they did out of love for their daughters, that doesn't make the pain they feel any better. And so, he holds her until eventually her sobs reduce to quiet whimpering, and her breaths even out and slow down, and he hopes that she can find some measure of peace in her dreams tonight. Though she would tell him he had no way of knowing this, he assumes she's dreaming of a time when she is once again under the same roof as her daughter; only instead of sleeping alone, she'll find herself wrapped in the arms of the man who knows her best, misses her best, and loves her best of all.


End file.
